MHS 2 triumphs over SIS 1 in boys HS v-ball

Marianas High School 2 and Saipan International School 1 players are seen here in action in the Public School System Boys High School Volleyball League 2021-2022 last Tuesday at the MHS Gymnasium. (LEIGH GASES)

Marianas High School 2 Dolphins secured their second win in the Public School System Boys High School Volleyball League 2021-2022 last Tuesday after beating Saipan International School 1 at the MHS Gymnasium with the MHS home crowd erupting with celebration over the win.

MHS 2 initially lost the first set, 13-21, then gained back their momentum to win the last two sets, 21-10 and 15-11.

Despite the first set loss, MHS 2 coach Don Marshall Cabrera said in an interview after the game that he “called multiple timeouts in the first set but it didn’t seem to do much. So, I brought them out to the ping-pong room here at the gym and… I told them what they needed to fix… and it seemed to work because they won the next two sets.”

When asked how he felt about the team and how they played, he said, “we made it harder than we needed it to be for ourselves. There were points in the game where simple errors cost us and we had to fight back and earn every single point like the other team did. It was a good game- it went a lot longer than I wanted it to, but I’m glad we came out with the win,” Cabrera added.

Furthermore, he said that he prefers the league-style over the tournament-style where “you can only prepare so much… And if your team is on then you’re on and if your team is off, you’re off for the whole day. It’s not the best situation. So, I prefer this where there’s time to train and iron out some of the bad stuff that they do on the court, whether it be missed serves or bad receiving; I can focus on it and help them perform better in the game.”

In a game between Saipan Southern High School 1 and MHS 3, the Manta Rays came out with the win after two sets. In the first set, SSHS 1 bagged the win, 21-17, and in the second set, SSHS barely held on to the win with a final score of 21-19.

Right after the MHS 2 Dolphins’ win between SIS 1, the Dolphins could not keep up their streak that night after their game with the Kagman High School Ayuyus was called a forfeit in favor of KHS.

In a game between MHS 1 and KHS, the Dolphins came out on top for the win and avenged their brothers’ MHS 2’s loss against KHS. In the first and final set, MHS 1 won with identical scores of 21-13.

The top-seeded GCA triumphed over MHS 3 with the first set score of 21-9 and the last set score of 21-7.

And finally, SIS 2 saw some action but lost against the top-seeded GCA after two sets, with the first set score of 12-21 and the final set score of 19-21.

With GCA’s two wins last Tuesday, the Eagles are atop the win-loss standings at (4-0), followed by MCS 1 (3-0), KHS (3-1), MHS 1 (2-1), MHS 2 (2-2), SIS 1 (1-2), SSHS 1 (1-2), MHS 3 (0-4), and SSHS 2 (0-3), MCS 2 (1-2), SIS 2 (0-1).

The Public School System Boys High School Volleyball League 2021-2022 is being held with help from the Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association.